A 29-year-old woman trying to rescue a stranded dog ended up needing to be rescued herself after both became trapped on a ledge at a popular Catskills swimming hole.
New York Forest Rangers and multiple emergency agencies responded around 7 p.m. July 8 to Fawn’s Leap in Greene County after a woman and a dog became stranded below the falls.
Centerville FIre District Chief Michael Ivino said the dog was swept off the upper ledge and became stuck on the other side of Kaaterskill Creek. The woman swam after the dog but became stranded on the ledge and called 911.
Forest rangers members of the Twin Cloves Technical Rescue Team, Ulster County Sheriff’s Office Dive/Swift Water Rescue Team, Greene County Sheriff’s Office, Athens Fire Department, Hudson Fire Department and Centerville Fire District in a high-angle rope rescue, according to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.
A rescuer rappelled about 80 feet to the ledge to assess the woman’s condition and secure both her and the dog with harnesses and prevent them from going farther into the water.
Rescuers then used a twin-tension rope system to haul the rescuer, woman and dog safely out of the ravine. Both were evaluated by Hunter Ambulance and Greene County Medics and were not injured, according to the fire district.
The rescue concluded at 9:15 p.m.
The rescue occurred in a restricted area with warning signs at Fawn’s Leap. The DEC reminds visitors to obey posted signs and avoid dangerous locations.
A 15-year-old boy from Brooklyn drowned after jumping from a lower ledge near the base of the waterfall at Fawn’s Leap in April.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Woman trying to rescue stranded dog pulled to safety at popular NY swimming hole
Reporting by Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Ryan Miller, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | USA TODAY Network
